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Are you a licensed photography business?
Absolutely. I have been fully licensed, since 1995. My current licenses are with the state of Arizona and, locally, with the town of Marana.
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How
would you describe your wedding photography style?
I use a variety of styles and approaches to get the job done. In short, I would categorize my current style as a combination of modern-traditional, candid and photojournalism rolled into one. How much or how little I utilize these styles is based on the feedback I receive from my clients. Some clients may want very little in the way of posing, others require that I be more hands on. Every couple is different.
The one thing I have acquired, from photographing so many weddings, is the facility to adjust to the needs of my clients and the change-ups that sometimes get thrown your way, during the course of a wedding. That does not come easy to beginning photographers. It took me many years.
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If you could only use one word to describe your style, what would it be?
Sophisticated.
My work is largely a product of what my customers want. But, when given free reign, that is the word I have heard my clients use the most to describe my work. I rather like it! So I am going with it.
Can you explain what photojournalism wedding photography is?
True photojournalism implies that there is no posing, guiding or subject manipulation of any kind. Yet, when I observe most self-professed wedding photojournalists in action, they are posing, guiding and telling their subjects what to do all the time. Outside of one person in New York City, who charges about $15,000 per wedding, I am not aware of any other wedding photographers that can actually shoot an entire wedding in pure photojournalism form, that wind up satisfying their clients. It is incredible how many wedding couples and professionals in the industry have fallen for this charade.
In my wedding gallery, I show several photos of couples, behaving naturally. I acquired some of these through the photojournalistic method, while others fall into the category of pseudo-photojournalism. That‘s when I direct my subjects to achieve the same desired results. Good wedding photographers are able to incorporate this with a mix of candid photos, photojournalism and semi-traditional photography, throughout a wedding day. The ceremony and reception events provide the best opportunities for pure photojournalism. Nevertheless, make no mistake, just because we are able to capture portions of each wedding day in this manner, does not make me or anyone else a wedding photojournalist. I am simply a wedding photographer, doing the same things that most other wedding photographers are doing in the industry today.
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Are you saying photographers that call themselves wedding photojournalist are being disingenuous?
I think, in most cases, self-professed wedding photojournalists do not fully understand what it is.
I was around in the mid-nineties, when Denis Reggie first introduced the wedding photography world to photojournalism in the mid-nineties. Since then, many photographers have tried to emulate his style, without much success. It is extremely difficult to produce enough qualities images, using Reggie’s blueprint, which will satisfy clients. That did not stop the surging demand for wedding photojournalists, however.
In subsequent years, many photographers came to realize that most couples, looking for wedding photojournalist, did not really know what it means. It sounded different, did not have the word ’traditional’ attached to it and so it became popular. In response to the burgeoning demand, photographers began to do pseudo wedding photojournalism. This is when a photographer instructs his subjects on how to behave, in order to produce the same, natural and spontaneous looking results. There is nothing wrong with using method. However, I think it is unfortunate that many wedding photographers today have accepted this as what truly defines wedding photojournalism, which it is not. Using this blueprint, I suppose I could call myself a wedding photojournalist too, but I know better. You can call it pseudo-photojournalism. You can even call it candid photography, but let's be honest, photojournalism it is not.
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Do you offer TRASH YOUR DRESS photo shoots?
On occasion, couples have inquired about having bride and groom photos taken on a day, after their wedding. These "Trash Your Wedding Dress" shoots are nothing new. Some photographers have been doing them for years. In sixteen years of being in business, I am offering them now, for the first time.
The main reason couples express interest in these shoots is simple. They want to have many more quality photos taken of them, then time will allow on their wedding day. Every wedding day is different. However, in most cases the photographer rarely has more than 12-15 minutes to take pictures of the bride and groom alone. In contrast, I usually spend close to an hour with couples, tkaing their engagement photos.
On a personal note, I think I have and continue to do pretty well with those 12-15 minutes. If that is all the time I have to be creative with the bride and groom, then that is all the time I have. After shooting close to five hundred weddings, I think I have adapted pretty well to the frenzy pace. However, I often come away feeling a bit cheated by the time constraints and wishing I could have done more.
Do you shoot with film or digital?
I am entirely digital now.
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What is better, film or digital photography?
I am of the opinion that Digital photography has the creative edge and is inherently more useful.
The one major drawback to digital photography is the crazy amount of time professional photographers have to spend editing images. Since I am relentless perfectionist, I probably put in more time in the digital darkroom than most professionals, 4-5 hours editing, for every one hour of photography. That is something we never had to do with film.
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Do you provide color and black and white photography?
With digital, it really does not make sense to shoot in anything but color. You can easily convert color images to black and white or sepia tone in the digital lab afterwards. Conversely, it would be difficult and extremely time consuming to change a black and white image back to color.
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Do you have a studio or do you work out of your home?
Since I am primarily a wedding photographer and do my portraits on location, there is no need to have a studio. Instead, I have a sizable home office with several albums and wall prints for people to view. That may not sound real glamorous, but it saves money. That savings is passed along to my clients, in the form of lower prices.
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Where do your photography prices range?
I am reasonably priced. Wedding Photography Prices | Tucson Portait Prices
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Is sales tax required on professional photography services?
Yes. All licensed professional photographers with the state of Arizona, are required to collect sales tax on all photographic products and services. This is also the case in Massachusetts, where I used to operate. I imagine that it is probably the case in most states.
A photographer that does not charge sales tax is probably not licensed to do business.
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What do you require to reserve a wedding date or potrait sitting.
Because of the economic shift that is taking place, the retainer for weddings is only $200, at the moment. I do not require a retainer for portrait sessions, unless the shoot requires a lot of traveling time.
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What kind of payments do you accept?
Payments, related to packages and deposits, can be made with cash, check and all major credit cards, using our Paypal service.
When prints are purchased at our storefront with *Photo Reflect, all conventional credit card payments are accepted. (*This is where your edited images will be posted on line.)
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Are you still available to photograph
weddings in New England?
Most certainly! Since I moved to Tucson, I have flown to New England several times to photograph weddings there. Lodging is covered. Airfare is extra, but the overall cost is still competitive with area photographers.
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How long have you been photographing weddings?
I have been photographing weddings for about twenty years.
What is your favorite all time quote?
"Do onto others, as you would have them do onto you." Just imagine what the world would be like, if everyone actually abided by those lofty words in everything they do, everyday of their lives.
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How does a question become a frequently asked question?
If the same question is asked more than twice, it qualifies.
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